How to Adjust to the Fall Time Change

An extra hour of sleep isn't the only way to benefit from Daylight Saving Time.

Many of us are looking forward to when the clocks "fall back" on Sunday, and we get that extra hour of sleep. And while there are plenty of things around the house to do to prepare (including turning the clocks back), experts say there are a few situations in which you can benefit from prepping yourself for this upcoming time change, too:

If you already have sleep problems...Time changes in either direction can aggravate existing sleep issues, says William Kohler, M.D., a Florida-based sleep specialist and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. So while you may be tempted to stay out late and sleep in the next day (after all, you've got that extra hour coming your way), he says this is a time of year that it's especially important to practice good sleep hygiene. That means sticking to a routine waking up and going to bed around the same time each day.

If you're the type that has trouble staying asleep, extra brightness in the morning may interfere with getting enough snooze time. Invest in a set of room-darkening shades, advises Kohler, but make sure to open them up as soon as you're awake: A.M. sunlight resets your biological clock and can actually make falling asleep at the end of the day easier.

If you're a parent...You know how your kid wakes up at the crack of dawn, no matter how late Mommy and Daddy were out the night before? Well, turning the clocks back means they might wake up even earlier, says Judith Owens, M.D., a sleep medicine expert at Children's National Medical Center. Like adults, light helps regulate kids' body clocks, she explains. To keep little ones up long enough at night and asleep late enough in the morning, make sure they get natural light exposure in the evenings and that their bedrooms are dark at night. All daytime routines (meals, bath time) help keep them on schedule, so don't be tempted to serve dinner earlier just because it's dark outside, she advises. Keeping evening activities consistent can help you avoid time-change troubles.

If you get the winter blues...The end of Daylight Savings Time can actually be good for your mood, says psychologist Stephen Josephson, Ph.D., of Weill Cornell Medical College. You may not enjoy leaving the office when it's already dark out, but biologically, morning light actually boosts your mood the most. So take advantage of an earlier sunrise, and leave your blinds open at night, he recommends. If that leads to sleep troubles, keep the shades shut while you sleep but open them first thing, and then get outside (and get moving) as early as you can.

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